Commuter's apron

Abstract

A commuter's apron provides for the containment of food and drink spillage for automobile and other vehicle drivers and passengers, while the vehicle is moving or stopped. The apron is preferably formed of a relatively thin sheet of polyethylene plastic or other material (e. g., coated paper or fabric), in order to be impervious to liquid and other spills. The upper and lower edges of each apron are congruent, thus enabling a plurality of the aprons to be die cut or otherwise formed continuously from a single elongate sheet or roll of sheet material with relatively little waste. All of the flat portions of the apron (i. e., the main body, pocket portion, and neck closure portion) are formed from a single, continuous sheet, with the only additional components required being tape or other means to close the neck closure portion and seal the sides of the pockets in the event heat sealing is not used. Thus, the present apron may be provided inexpensively with fast food meals, and/or dispensed from a container having a plurality of such aprons packaged separately therein. The apron may include an advertising or display message thereon, if desired.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing and dispensing a commuter's apron, comprising the following steps: (a) providing a thin, flexible sheet of liquid impervious material in an unbroken, elongate strip;   (b) forming a plurality of commuter's aprons by forming a plurality of regularly spaced apart separation lines across the strip, with each of the separation lines forming an arc and defining a common convex upper edge and a concave lower edge between adjacent aprons;   (c) separating adjacent aprons along their common separation line to form individual aprons each having a convex upper edge and concave lower edge, said convex upper edge having a curvature identical to said concave lower edge;   (d) folding said concave lower edge of each apron forwardly and upwardly to form a lower front pocket at the bottom of each apron;   (e) forming neck openings near the upper edge of each apron, with the material between each neck opening and the respective upper edge of each apron defining a collar for that apron, and;   (f) providing a lateral slit extending generally radially from said neck opening and defining a collar opening across the collar of each apron.   
     
     
       2. The method of manufacturing and dispensing a commuter's apron of claim 1, including the step of: providing sealing means along the edges to form a pocket in each of the aprons.   
     
     
       3. The method of manufacturing and dispensing a commuter's apron of claim 1, including the step of: providing removable sealing means for the collar opening.   
     
     
       4. The method of manufacturing and dispensing a commuter's apron of claim 1, including the step of: providing display means on each apron.   
     
     
       5. The method of manufacturing and dispensing a commuter's apron of claim 1, including the step of: folding each apron to provide for compact storage thereof.   
     
     
       6. The method of manufacturing and dispensing a commuter's apron of claim 1, including the step of: providing a commuter apron dispensing container having a quantity of separate, individual commuter's aprons therein.   
     
     
       7. The method of manufacturing and dispensing a commuter's apron of claim 1, including the steps of: (a) folding each apron to provide for compact storage thereof, and;   (b) providing a commuter apron dispensing container having a quantity of folded, separate, individual commuter's aprons therein.